Madison times. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1884-1???, 1887-05-28
[ FARM AND GARDEN
CCLTIvATING SPRING GRAIN.

But the cultivation by the slantin
tooth harrow g ther before or after the
grain is up can only improve the crop.
1t Is not safe TO harrow where grass
seed is sOwn. as even If it has moi
sprouted it may cover the small seed
too deeply.
THE SMALLEST PIGS IN A LITTER.
In every litter OF large numbers there
will always be one and sometimes two
vesklings As the only business OF a
hog Is to make growth and fat, these
poor specimens should be culled out as
soon as possible, and either sold, given
away or killed. The time and labor
required to bring these runts up to
their mates might be much better ex-
pended in some other way.
sTREET-CAR HORSES.
gTbe city street-cars use up horses
speedily, as the animals have to be
driven rapidly over stone or other hard
pavements. Only the toughest and
soundest horses can stand this usage
long. Many horses thrown aside as
useless for street car purposes are COM
psrat:vely sound, and may be made to
do GOOD work on the farm, with all the
road travel that most farm horses are
obliged to do.
REMOvING SUCKERS FROM TREES.
The small shoots around the trunk
OF an apple tree should be closely
pruned. as also any from the centre of
the trees on the larger limbs. This
& owth is the natural result of Winter
pr ming the previous year. and to en-
t.eiy check it the pruning may be post
poued until the leaves have started.
1h with too rapidly growing trees is
OF en- good method to set them to fruit
b. airing.
THE LATE CROP OF CABBAGE.
A hotbed is not necessary TO start
cabbage for the late crop. Make bed
IN some rich ground, get the surface in
finc tilth, and sow the seeds thinlv in
rows so that the line may be passed be-
tween them. 1t is important TO push
growth rapidly, and if the plants are
taken up and reset in the beds they
will be more stocky and have more
fiDrous roots, so that when finally set
out in the field there will be little or no
check to their growth.
LATE SPRING SHOWS.
A snowstorm after a few days
OF warm weather is sometimes called
the poor mans manure. Its large flakes
undoubtedly are better absorbents of
whatever ammonia may be in the air
Than are the smaller particles of rain.
But there is comparatively little am
monia in the air in early Spring, as it
must have been washed out during the
preceding Winter. Snow on the sur
lace of the ground is. however, a pro-
lection to whatever grows on it against
freezing, while the increasing heat of
Spring days insures permanently warm
er weather.
sURPERFLUOUs FENCES.
We are learning to do with fewer
ences than were once considered ne
'essary. and in some places where
andi high priced and near good mar
ket soiling is done away with the pas
inre system. and fences can be almost
entirely dispensed with. Since so much
larm work is done by machinery and
morse labor, fields have been thrown
together BY removing the fences be-
tween them. This gives more land,
besides greatly conducting to cheapness
ol cultivation. On almost all farms
'here is work of this kind to be done,
anu IL should be got out of the way ear
~ oeiore the busy season begins.
CHARCOAL FOR LAWNS.
Inc black color of charcoal makes j.
valuable as top-dressing for lawns in
early Spring. 1t has some manurial
properties, ell charcoal having some
l'otash' and when old it has also in adj
l'tion some ammonia that it has alb
'oroed from the air. 1t makes a pret-
y sight to see bright green leaves of
grass spring up through the black sur
'ace which thin dress NC OF charcoal
makes The dark color absorbs and
retains heat from the direct ravs of the
sun, while later in the season the mn.
grass covers the charcoal.
,n'cn then acts as a mulch, keeping
Inc soil beneath moist and cool
SAVING SMALL CALVES.
Ans' COW has very small calf
may oe due to several causes. Influenza
Oh IT'S sire, deficient feed nr of the ma.
'eii.ls required to make growth. or
POSSIBLY to small size in the dam her.
'eir. heifers while making growth u.s.
.Aiy drop small calves, but many
farmers have found that the calves
.iom ne,f'rS are often superior mixers
ana !. Won worth raising. if heifers. un-
!" .ney become cows 1t might be sug-
gested that the tendency to early milk
productions may be inbred by letting
ne'iers drop their calves verv younp
.ua breeding from these Perbans this I
I". 10y Oe one OF the means by which the
cattie were originated ,bus az
So"hung at the sam. linn, s. IT.